On this sunny Saturday in Austin, SXSW has kicked into full gear. As the crowds descend onto the city, the energy is at its peak, as is our insatiable need to consume as much BBQ as physically possible. We kicked off the afternoon partnering with our favorite Colorado food truck, Nomad Street Cuisine, that can be found year-round on the streets of Fort Collins. The Southbites Trailer Park is a carefully curated selection of food trucks from across the country, featuring everything from Taiwanese style ramen to cold pressed juice and Turkish kebabs. Also known, as endless noms. Interspersed throughout the day our team canvassed an array of discussions closely focused on product and the ways we innovate for the consumer.
3D-Printing is red hot. Intel presented a brilliant look into the application for the fashion industry. Like distributed computing, fashion manufacturing will become distributed, enabled by the 3D printing revolution. A consumer might order a look that is printed for her in all her favorite destinations – the flat she keeps in Paris. The hotel she goes to in London. And her home in New York City. The nuances of fabric selection — textures and materiality – are missing from 3D printing today. But that is changing. Two designer shoe start-ups (Feets and Thesis) will have 100% 3D printed shoes for sale in 2015.
We also sat in on a conversation with the CMO of EA Sports, Chris Bruzzo. “The era of brand management is over,” according to Bruzzo. Marketers are increasingly handing over the reigns to gamers – in multiple facets from game design, marketing and a myriad of other touch points across the consumer experience.
David Chang also spoke on the beauty of chain restaurants. No longer do you have to choose between creativity and scale. Do both. Do systematic and efficient. But also, court and support anarchy. 100% over salt and 100% under salt – you’ll probably come out perfectly balanced in the end.